When It: Chapter Two wrapped up its big-screen run, it felt like Bill Skarsgård had very intentionally closed the book on Pennywise. The two films were massive hits, the character became instantly iconic and the performance helped launch the actor into a much wider range of roles. So, when word broke that he’d be returning for HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry, streaming with an HBO Max subscription, the natural assumption was that the decision came easily. It didn’t, and here’s what convinced him to suit back up.
Based on comments Skarsgård shared in an interview with Screen Rant, the actor was actually hesitant about revisiting the character at all. Speaking while promoting his crime biopic, Dead Man’s Wire, the actor admitted that his concerns stemmed from the success of the original films. After two well-received movies, he wasn’t sure a television series was necessary, or whether it risked stretching the mythology too thin:
We did the two movies, and they were very successful… you don’t want to milk this one out with a TV show that might not live up to the success of the previous films.
This isn’t the first time Bill Skarsgård’s reluctance to reprise his role as the demonic clown has been discussed. Series co-creator Andy Muschietti previously discussed the challenges of getting Skarsgård to sign on. Likewise, showrunner Jason Fuchs said convincing the actor was no small feat.
What ultimately changed his mind was the wild new approach to the character. Once Skarsgård saw how Welcome to Derry planned to use Pennywise, rather than simply repeating what audiences had already seen, his reservations began to ease. The HBO prequel is set decades before the events of the films, focusing on one of the creature’s earlier feeding cycles in 1962. That shift opened the door to new angles, new mythology and crucially, new sides of Pennywise himself.
The Nosferatu star explained that the material allowed him and director Muschietti to explore aspects of the character that hadn’t previously been on screen. He continued:
I feel that, in the end, we explored some parts of Pennywise that we hadn’t seen before or hadn’t done. Andy and I always have fun together, and I think that we did those aspects of it. Even with Pennywise’s performance, there was like, ‘Okay, here’s a juicy scene, and you see something else from Pennywise, or more of him.’ I had fun with those scenes, for sure.
The Barbarian actor’s hesitation also makes sense when viewed through the lens of career strategy. Even the best horror movie icons have a way of sticking to actors, sometimes to their detriment. Skarsgård has spent the years since It deliberately expanding his range, from genre films to prestige projects, and committing too hard to Pennywise again risked pulling him back into a single lane. Derry, however, didn’t require him to anchor the entire series, allowing Pennywise to remain powerful without dominating the narrative.
That balance appears to have paid off. The series debuted to largely positive reactions, with critics and audiences praising how it expanded on the original book-to-screen adaptation and Stephen King’s original novel interludes into a full story rather than being a simple cash-in. Even longtime skeptics softened once King himself voiced support for the project, and the show quickly became a ratings hit for HBO and HBO Max, particularly by the season finale.
In hindsight, Skarsgård said he was more nervous going into the project than coming out of it. The experience turned out to be fun, creatively rewarding, and far less limiting than he initially feared. It also hasn’t slowed him down elsewhere. Between Dead Man’s Wire, his upcoming role in The Death of Robin Hood, and openness to future seasons of Welcome to Derry, it’s clear Pennywise hasn’t trapped him.
Dead Man’s Wire premiered in theaters on January 9 as part of the 2026 movie schedule and received a warm response from both critics and audiences. The Gus Van Sant–directed crime thriller is inspired by the real-life 1977 hostage standoff involving Tony Kiritsis, with Skarsgård starring as Kiritsis alongside Dacre Montgomery, Cary Elwes, Myha’la, Colman Domingo, and Al Pacino. Be sure to check out that film and, if you still want to see Bill Skarsgård’s work in the It films or Welcome to Derry, head on over to HBO Max now!
